 A family history of lighting. TRAIN FOR FOUR GENERATIONS:
A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
When the late Walter L Keil lent his talents to Christmas decorating in the early 1920’s, it was to light up the lives of his family. Chances are he would be surprised to know that four generations later, his talents are still being enjoyed and that he has a great grandson who is carrying on his tradition of creating something very special to celebrate Christmas in an exceptional way.
Mr. Keil was one of Salt Lake City’s first licensed electrical contractors. His descendants report that he was one of the men who helped bring electric light into Salt Lake City. He used his expertise in his home as well, creating a wonderful Christmas display for family and friends in the early 1920’s.
 He took tiny bulbs, the kind used in flashlights, dipped them in red, blue, and green colored inks; soldering and wiring them into strings that were placed on the family’s Christmas Tree. The tree featured strings of the red, green and blue lights while most other trees of that era were still ablaze with candles.
He also used the tiny lights on his most favored legacy, one of Salt Lake City’s first handmade electric trains. The three-car train featured an engine, a flat car and a caboose that did double duty as an engine so the train could reverse.
He styled the cars after those of the old Bamberger train that ran between Salt Lake City and Ogden. He made the cars out of tin cans. The caboose, painted a bright, shining red, features raised lettering on its top. It reads, Colman’s No. 1 Starch. There’s also lettering on the bottom of the flat car that says Lorillard Tobacco Co. It seems the flat car once contained plug tobacco.
The engine was made from scrap tin that he carefully pieced together. The train’s wheels are made from the ends of cartridge fuses. The train, larger than the later commercial models, runs on a wide track that features three rails. The power runs through the center rail to keep the train moving. The cars are hooked together via pin couplers. The tiny details remain. There are brake wheels and sturdy ladders on the cars.
When my great-grandfather died, my grandmother and grandfather took over the care of the train, windmill and bi-plane and other pieces for many years. They passed it on to my youngest aunt and her husband.
The train is displayed at their home, under the Christmas tree for all family members to see and enjoy during the holiday season. It makes runs around the track on a limited basis because of its age.
 Other Great-Grandpa Keil’s creations displayed with the train are a biplane, its wings made from cookie tins, and windmill made of tin and wood. The propeller of the plane turns as well as the fins of the windmill.
The biplane revolves around the top of the Christmas tree. It hangs from a metal bar and is pulled around by the propeller. It is balanced by a Santa’s Sleigh at the other end of the bar. The sleigh is a recent modification. A Santa’s head made by my great-grandpa to balance the biplane, wore out a number of years ago. The two toys seem to chase each other around the tree.
 A vertical bar installed next to the truck of the tree and attached to the trunk supports the horizontal bar and this arrangement allows the plane and sleigh to circle above the train.
The train circles the bottom of the tree. It passes a small village (the original was replace by my aunt when it wore out), and in some years a small pond with ice skaters or, as in great-grandpa’s day, a lake with small fishermen, and the windmill.
The creativity of my great-grandfather has provided a special meaning to Christmas to 4 generations of his family as well as many friends and acquaintances of these generations who over the years have looked forward to seeing the train and display during the holiday season each year.
Train caretakers always wonder when they take the train out of storage each year, what will be wrong with it, knowing full well that great-grandpa will have given them a new challenge needing fixing before the train will run.
My grandmother followed in her father’s footsteps. While she didn’t build a train, she made sure that her grandchildren loved Christmas. She provided us with strings of lights that we could bring home to decorate our own rooms. I remember a very special string that she bought for me. Each little light was covered by a Jack Frost figure.
My mother let me and my siblings arrange displays of Noah’s Ark, the Nativity, a forest scene with pine tree and animals, or other things that young kids dream up, in the shelves of a bookcase in our living room. Of course, all displays had to have Christmas lights.
Once you are bitten by the “light it up bug and let’s do something for friends and neighbors” and the family genes become rampant, it sure is fun to “light it up” and provide a Christmas light show for friends and neighbors to enjoy.
Happy Holiday Wishes from Dave at West Haven Lights.
|
|
|
|
